UFC 278's Jared Gordon keeps it real: 'MMA doesn't give me any fulfillment whatsoever'
SALT LAKE CITY – Jared Gordon still has to compete Saturday at UFC 278, but as tends to happen during media sessions three days in advance, he was asked about what he wants next before his fight even plays out.
In short, the native New Yorker said he wants to fight at Madison Square Garden, which will host UFC 281 in November. If he comes out of his fight against Leonardo Santos without serious injury, the timeline could work out.
Gordon rattled off a list of reasons why fighting at MSG is his “destiny,” but one of them stood out from the rest.
“I used to shoot dope in the bathroom down the block from Madison Square Garden,” Gordon said Wednesday.
Gordon’s past drug addiction has been well documented, but he’s managed to stay on the straight-and-narrow since joining the UFC in 2017. And at UFC 278, he’ll be looking to rebound from a submission loss to Grant Dawson in his last fight.
Given his troubled history, one might think Gordon is fulfilled by competing in MMA at the highest level, that perhaps the sport and being in the UFC have helped him stay sober. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“MMA hasn’t helped me at all. Actually it’s made my life worse. I’m not even joking,” Gordon said. “MMA doesn’t give me any fulfillment whatsoever. I’m able to use my platform to help people through MMA, but whether I win or lose, three days later I’m miserable again.”